aspect ration - still images

[Ilene]

I am playing around with the demo version of Media Studio. I have used Video Studio 8, 9, 10+, 11+ for several years and was looking to upgrade. I do a lot of montage video's using a combination of video clips and a lot of still images. I am having a problem in Media Studio with vertical images. All my image files are jpgs and are either 480x720 or 720 x 480. I have "keep aspect ratio" selected in my project preferences. the problem I am having ( and it may be just because I'm working with the trial version?) is that my vertical pictures ( ie 480x720) are being stretched to fit the whole screen. I can't figure out how to get them to appear normal. I have no such issues in Video Studio. I tried loading the image files from both the story board and the project tray. All the effects and editing I'm doing with horizontal pictures are working out nicely...any suggestions on how to solve the problem of vertical pictures? I must be doing something wrong but don't know how to tweak my settings....I've been searching the program and the forum for a clue. Maybe someone has a suggestions for me?
thanks. Ilene

[Devil]

Try using Moving Path 2D and click the Keep aspect ratio. When you have everything set up as you want it, save it as a custom MP, which you can then apply to all the others.

[MrA]

Actually, I found it to be easiest to first add the images to the project library-media-stills (Not the production library). Then select what you want and copy them to the storyboard. From the storyboard, arrange them in the order you like, then right click and add to timeline.

The pop up will give you many choices on how to add them, and one I use a lot, is, the cues.

With cues, the motage will change according the cue points. I use this with music, which works great and takes the guess work out.

However, they is a gotcha with this. Cues only work for video.

The trick is to load your music into the Audio editor, set the cues there, then load the same file into Video Editor.

The "music" cues will show, but, you have to manually add the video cues on top of them, for the storyboard to use.

The advantage to this is the time that it takes to do it. The disadvantage is, you are letting MSP decide on the the pan and zooms, etc.

As an example, I had a very tall picture of a person, maybe 1000 pixels tall, and maybe 600 pixels wide. MSP zoomed a little, just enough to cut off the persons head and panned from right to left.

[Ilene]

Devil -
I tried your suggestion with the moving path. It doesn't seem to help. Besides, shouldn't you just be able to put vertical and horizontal images on the time line in a similar fashion to Video Studio. Not sure why you would need a work around. This is a bit frustrating...


I slso played a little with putting the pictures in the storyboard before putting them on the time line. I think I read that suggestion in this thread and elsewhere on the site - again, my images look stretched....or maybe it's just MS zooming in on the picture to fit the frame. Either way, it's not what I'm looking for. Horizontal pictures are fine, but it's impossible to just work with horizontal pictures. I need to see vertical pictures in normal mode and then pan and zoom as I wish.... I do this in VS and usually fill the border with a color.

[Devil]

OK, I don't know what is happening. Please try the following.

1. Click the insert image icon on the timeline and choose a vertical format pic straight from where you saved it and put it in a new project. (Do not drag it in from elsewhere)

2. Select Moving Path 2D Basic and drag it onto your image (you should see a little rectangle on the left.

3. Go into Effects Manager and highlight the first keyframe.

4. Click the Keep Aspect Ratio box

5. Drag the pic where you want it and resize it to suit.

6. Right-click on the keyframe and click on Copy to All

This will work, provided you have saved the image correctly, in the first place. You can then save the settings for copying this MP to other similar images.

[Gra]

Hi Ilene
It should work automatically but I appreciate it's frustrating when a simple job gets complicated for no apparent reason. It 'should' be ok regardless of trial version or not.

What dimensions are your project? It could be a problem there or in your preferences perhaps? I'm not sure what image suite you are using but if it's something like photoshop you could try resizing the original image canvas to the output dimensions.

[Ilene]

Hi Devil - ok that seemed to work. It seems like a "work around" to me but at least the image was no longer squashed/stretched into the screen. However, as opposed to Video Studio, I still had shrink the image down. Even when I checked keep aspect ratio, the width 480 was good but the height ( 720) needed to be pulled down, which then narrowed the picture a little more. I guess Video Studio does this automatically....especailly since it fills in the right and left borders with a black ( default) background.

Gra - thanks for your suggestions too. If you read the earlier posts in this thread you will see that my image dimensions are jpgs, 720x480 horizontal, and 480x720 for vertical. My project settings match this and I'm using the same protocol for images, project settings/preferences that I've been using successfully in VS for several years.

If only they could add moving paths to Video Studio...I'd be more inclined to just stick with it.

thanks for the help,
Ilene

[Devil]

It really is very difficult to fit 720 into 480, isn't it? Of course you have to resize it if you want all the vertical image in your frame. The easiest way is simply to type 480 into the Y size box and then you have the full image with background borders on either side if you have centred it. You can have the background as any compliant solid colour (black is default), an image or a pattern, as you wish.

As I said, once you have everything to your liking, save it as a custom MP and you have only to drag it over all the other images.

I don't think this is a workaround (I do it all the time with a choice of over half-a-dozen custom MPs for different effects: it is so simple!)

[jpal]

Just to add a litttle tweak on the moving path front, I put all the images that will need the vertical aspect ratio on a free higher timeline. If you apply the correct moving path to one clip, do a copy, then select the other clips on that timeline (using shift), then paste attributes, the effect will be applied to all the clips that need it.

[MrA]

Ilene - As you mentioned, it is a bit of work for something simple.

Another method I use is, VS10+. It's faster, cleaner, and, why not use it. This is the sort of thing that falls into the "rule" , don't rely on just one software product for the end all. Not a great selling point for MSP, but, MSP does have more to offer than VS10 or 11. It's not about the editing software used to create your video, it's the video that matters. What road you take to get there, doesn't really matter, just get there.

However, what MSP offers in this particular situation, VS's does not offer. That's the "cues". With a cue still cut, the impact of the montage is a hundred times the effect. It's a little more work, as you have to start with the audio first.

If you master MSP, you basically mastered all of Uleads products. They ALL have the same look and feel, (except for the VS's).

Drive safely.

[Ilene]

it's funny that you say that. I'm playing around with the demo of Media Studio - primarily for the moving path options....because in VS you cannot put transitions or sophiticated enough moving paths on the overlay track. So I'm currently working on a project in VS....so I've created a few avi files in MS and imported them into VS and they've worked out GREAT. It's kind of crzy to spend 400 on a program just to get a few of the features in MS, but since I'm so comfortable in VS I'm almost thinking of doing this!!
I already use other programs in conjunction with VS...as I like a lot of the Hollywood FX and transitions in Pinnacle. So I often create avi's that I import fr those programs into VS....I guess I can continue to do this.

By the way - I'm also playing around with Stage Tools for cool Pan/zoom effects...it works seamlessly with VS. I'm using the demo but am thinking of purchasing this too. Anyone have any thoughts?

Ilene